KARACHI, Jan 24: The Karachi Race Club (KRC) has further deferred the Gymkhana race meeting until Feb 2 (Saturday) owing to equine influenza.

The decision was taken by the administrator of the club, Fakir Syed Aitzaz Uddin, on Thursday due to the prevailing disease that has gripped the stables soon after the second meeting of the month held on Jan 9.

“Though 65 per cent horses have recovered but they are weak and need couple of days more rest,” he told Dawn.

He said the KRC had decided to conduct the races on Feb 2 to avoid clash with 1,000 Guineas being held at Lahore the next day.

Meanwhile, according to another KRC official, Akbar Shah Rashdi, as many as six horses from the city have gone to Lahore to compete in the upcoming prestigious events.

Fantastic Baby and Diamond N Dust are set to feature in 1,000 Guineas on Feb 3 while Fair Diamond and Dream Rose will make their presence felt in Derby Trial Cup on Feb 10. The Derby is scheduled for March 2.

Similarly, Eswarah and Claim To Fame will vie for honours in the Queen Elizabeth Cup which also takes place on the Derby day.

He disclosed a team of veterinary doctors visited the KRC stables the other day on the instructions of Shah Mardan Shah Pir Pagara. They went around the area along with the KRC doctor, Abdul Ghani, and took blood samples of some of the horses — A.Z